02 buick century does not like to turn left

SDE · Jun 13, 2017

Most of the time the steering works as it should. But I have had a few times when you turn the wheel about an inch to the left and then it does not want to turn any further, unless you use a lot of force. Or if you turn it to the right enough to release any pressure, and then it will allow you to turn left in a normal manner. I had new tie rods and an alignment last year and then I did not run it last winter. I have checked the PS fluid and it is full. Any ideas on what might be going on with this cars steering?
TY
SDE

David G · Jun 13, 2017

Those had a habit of the rack and pinion bushings seizing, check your fluid for metallic residue.

MarkB_MI · Jun 13, 2017

Replace the steering rack.

donjr · Jun 13, 2017

...just make right turns.....

David G · Jun 13, 2017

Make sure and flush system if rack is bad, metal will be in the fluid.

Poppa Noel · Jun 13, 2017

Take a look at your steering shaft all the way down ( under the dash and under the hood ) and see if any wires have fallen down and are getting tangled on the shaft. A friend of mine had this happen his wife left the house and had to make right hand turns all the way back home. He looked at it and it just would not turn left so he forced it to go left and it let loose. Pulled out wires from all over the engine compartment boy was that ever fun fixing

SDE · Jun 13, 2017

Well, that's good and that's bad. I am going to let a shop look at it on Friday. Most likely, I will need another alignment after a rack replacement.
TY
SDE

Ivan in Mich · Jun 13, 2017

Thats just the built in safety feature to prevent making U turns

Leroy · Jun 14, 2017

Anouther vote for rack. I have had them act up and even one split the whole length of the rack body and that happened as the best repair shop around was working on it after dealer could not repair car bought off of them.

dr sportster · Jun 14, 2017

That will leave you out of NASCAR next weekend.

pat sublett · Jun 14, 2017

The 2 sorriest cars that I ever owned, and I owned a lot, were Buicks. Bought both new. One was an 83 Rivera and an 84 Century. The Century would blow a turn signal fuse every time you turned left. You didn?t have to have the turn signal on. The transmission went out at 14,000 miles. Unfortunately, the best vehicles that I ever owned were all foreign made. I have owned several of them. I am not unpatriotic, just tired of junk.

Sprint 6 · Jun 14, 2017

Call a dealer before you do anything, it may have a recall on it. W body racks were prone to the lower input bearing failing and will do as you describe. GM recalled them 15 years ago, possibly yours never got done.

Hobo,NC · Jun 14, 2017

When got to the mid 90's GM steering rack issues pert near disappeared. Early 2000 they made a come back :wink: Late 2000's are becoming a pattern failer

If you go there flush the ell out of it before you replace it not after... Next not for the novelist is getting all the air out of it, its not a customer wait job...

john *.?-!.* cub owner · Jun 15, 2017

Sell it to the RNC. :lol:

02 buick century does not like to turn left

SDE

Well-known Member

David G

Well-known Member

MarkB_MI

Well-known Member

donjr

Well-known Member

David G

Well-known Member

Poppa Noel

Member

SDE

Well-known Member

Ivan in Mich

Member

Leroy

Well-known Member

dr sportster

Well-known Member

pat sublett

Well-known Member

Sprint 6

Well-known Member

Hobo,NC

Well-known Member

john .?-!. cub owner

Well-known Member

Similar threads